Friday, April 28, 2017

Five Minute Friday: More

Local weather talk may look to be small talk, but weather or no weather – as commentators in some media markets sometimes claim to have – what's in the sky and all around us affects us mightily. You may know about seasonal affective disorder or SAD that afflicts people with winter months clinical depression, or in a few cases, manic highs during the winter, serious lows in summer. Those are extreme cases, but most people who struggle even minimally with low moods that might not meet DSM depressive criteria will feel and function a lot better with a daily short stroll, sprint, or jog in the early morning light. Something about the quality of light that time of day triggers feel-better brain chemicals. (Endorphins?)

In places like the Pacific Northwest that I've visited only briefly and when it was delightfully sunny, after a sequence of mostly rainy days people will be screaming more sunshine please! They want and need the physiological and psychological healing sunshine brings. In Southern California that reportedly recently emerged from a serious drought, often we beg and request more rain please!

What weather yearnings happen where you currently make your home? Or in a past life or two or three?